CANANDAIGUA — Despite protests from leaders of employees in the Ontario County Sheriff’s Office, the Ontario County Board of Supervisors passed a set of resolutions Thursday night that gave the employees raises and codified work rules and policies — reading much like a labor contract.

The 160-some employees had not received pay increases since 2011, when negotiations on their last union contract went nowhere, while others working for the county saw their salaries change.

Since 2011, the employees had moved to decertify their union, the CSEA (Civil Service Employees Association), which occurred in 2013. Since then, two groups have organized and tried to attain union standing — one comprised of people who work in the 911 center through the Communications Workers of America and another, larger group through a local union headed up by Deputy David Barnard.

Through actions of the state Public Employment Relations Board, neither of those unions have been certified, but that process could begin again as early as Oct. 15.

County Attorney John Park told the Board of Supervisors that after Oct. 15, “it will take two to six months to certify unions we can begin to bargain with – but we may or may not have unions to bargain with.” He added that he had “no clue” how long after that, that the county would have a contract with these employees.

“A new collective bargaining agreement is months, if not years away,” he said.

So the board’s Personnel Committee decided to step in. Committee Chair and Canadice Supervisor Kristine Singer explained the rationale for offering the package to the 160 employees.

“One of our big concerns was that the other bargaining units (of employees) had agreements,” Singer said. “This group had gone two and a half years without a pay increase. How could we bring these employees closer to where the other employees have been?”

The solution was threefold: a one-time cash payment based on years of experience, a 2-percent salary increase this year and another one effective Jan. 1, 2015. New benefits were added, and the work rules and job details contained language that came from existing contracts.

Barnard addressed the supervisors, telling them that his union might be local, but it was “an actual union with officers, by-laws and an attorney.” He said – and others echoed – that sheriff’s office employees wanted out of the CSEA because they were paying $100,000 into the union and “getting nothing” in return.

Barnard said his union had “no issue” with the wording of the contract that was all but approved in 2013 after 19 months of negotiations. He also said the 911 work group had decided, after meeting with PERB in April, that the group is back together as one union.

Barnard asked the supervisors to reject the resolutions “so we can possibly agree to a mediated contract,” essentially the revised 2011 contract, and move forward with a certified union.

911 Communications Officer Christopher Foster said his group had looked to the Communications Workers of America for representation because their work issues are different. He said if the commissioners had recognized his group as a bargaining unit, the resolution would not be necessary.

Canandaigua City Supervisor David Baker asked the spokespersons and the 20 or so people with them if what they wanted was to have the resolutions laid to rest “until you are recognized as a bargaining unit.” “Correct” was the answer he received.

Geneva City Supervisor Charles Evangelista said the resolutions were “a pretty good thing for people without a contract for a while,” but also noted that in the jail, employee morale is poor and officers “have some legitimate concerns about four to things in the resolutions.”

“I don’t understand the impetus from the county to settle this now,” said Baker. “These are the folks that will benefit from it, and they want us to wait.”

County Administrator John Garvey said that “once you organize, you bargain from that stance forward; you don’t go back.” He said the resolutions established an employee council “to bring up concerns."

"It’s hard to understand if everybody wants to wait or some want to wait," he said. "I thought this was a good thing.”

“There is nothing in the resolutions that is unfair,” said Geneva City Supervisor Greg Bendzlowicz, a former cop. He said the real problem is that the workers were so anxious to decertify their union, they didn’t line up another union to take over. “I can’t understand why it was done in that way,” he said.

“In no means are we penalizing anyone,” said Singer. “We’re just trying to compensate people until this gets washed out. It’s something to be in place, as a guideline.”

“Why are there language changes in this agreement?” Geneva City Supervisor Dom Vedora asked. “If they haven’t had a raise, give them a raise and leave the language as it was.” Turning to the audience, Vedora asked, “The vast majority of your group does not want this (resolution)?” “No,” was the answer he got.

Canandaigua Town Supervisor Pam Helming said the group present at the meeting wasn’t necessarily speaking for everyone. “When people are opposed to something, they sign a petition. How do those folks feel today?” She felt the resolution was a win-win for the employees and the county.

“Obviously they don’t feel like it’s a win-win,” Vedora said.

The resolution passed 17-3-1 by roll-call vote, 3,552-622-322 by weighted votes. Baker, Vedora and Evangelista opposed the measure; Gorham Supervisor Fred Lightfoote, who has a son employed as a corrections officer, abstained.